Electric switch



ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed March 5, 1923 Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

G-EGRGE HEG-EMAN HART. OF WEST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application filed March 3, 1923.

To all era/mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gaol-ion H. HART, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Test Hartford, county of Hartford, and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to electrio switches of the type havinga rotary handle which may constitute a pointer to indicate the indexedpositions of a switch unit, the latter having a suitable blade or bladesadapted to be thrown with a quick movement into and out of engagementwith suitable terminals fixed on a base.

For many reasons itis preferable that the handle be made of porcelain,or of a material of similar characteristics, but here 'tofore theobjection to porcelain handles has been that porcelain cannot be moldedto close dimensions thus making it necessary to allow a relatively largetolerance in those portions of the handle which engage those membersthrough which the switch unit is thrown when the handle is rotated. Thishas meant that the handles could not be made with sufficient accuracy toeliminate looseness between the handles and the parts to which they areconnected or associated, and the result has been that the handles wouldwobble and vary in their indicating positions.

The aim of the present invention is to provide an improved arrangementhaving various features of novelty and advantage, and more particularlyto provide certain improvements in switches of this sort wherebylooseness between the handle and the parts associated therewith ispractically eliminated and the handle will stand in close indicatingpositions; that is to say, it will point within relatively close limitsto the indicia signifying the off, on, etc., positions of the switchunit.

The above and other objects of the invention are obtained in thestructure described in the following specification and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, it being understood that the presentdisclosure is by way of exemplification only and that the invention issusceptible of various modifications and changes which are within thespirit of the invention without departing from the scope of the appendedclaims.

Serial No. 622,559.

In saiddrawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the switch, this switch beingshown by way of illustration only, and more or less diagrammatically, asit is obvious that the novel features of the invention may beincorporated in switches differing in construction from that here shown;

Fig. 2 is an exploded View showing, in per- 'spective, the switch handleand certain parts to be connected thereto;v

Fig. 3 is a central sectional view through the handle;

Fig. 4 is a View of the handle in side elevation, the pointer endthereof being in sec tion; and

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the handle.

In these drawings I have shown so much of a switch of the typeillustrated in the patent to Smart and Gates, No. 1,409,146, dated March7, 1922, as is necessary to make clear one application of the presentinvention.

10 is a baseof insulating material and of any desired shape, 011 whichare fixed terminals 11, suitably spaced apart, say at 90 degrees, asshown. Journaled in the base is a spindle 12 with which is associated aswitch unit, having a blade or blades, which is not shown as the sameforms no par ticular part of the present invention. Secured to thespindle is a U-shaped spring plate 13 having an upwardly extendingprojection or tongue 14L adapted to be operatively connected to thehandle 15, as here inafter described more in detail. Loose on thespindle and positioned about the spring plate is, what may be termed.forconvenience, an abutment 1'7 which is secured to the switching unit.Coiled about the spindle and having its ends straddling the spring plateand the abutment is a spring 18. In op eration the handle may be turnedstep by step in either direction to effect the de sired electricalconnection between the contacts or terminals. When the handle is thusturned the spring is placed under tension until a certain part of theswitching unit is released and then the spring throws the switching unitwith a quick movement. The handle 15, which is preferably of porcelain,is provided with a bore or well 20 having longitudinally extendinggrooves 21 which receive the guides or wings 22 of a connector or sleeveinternally threaded so as to re- Cal ceive the upper threaded end of theswitch spindle. The handle is normally held against longitudinalmovement relative to the sleeve by a spring 2 L abutting against a collar loosely receiving the sleeve andheld in place by a spring 26 sprunginto an annulargroove in the wall o t the bore adjacent its'o'p'en end.

For the purpose of connecting handles ot l t and spaced apart .inaccordance with the angular position of the various switches ,on

theirbases, and a plurality of washers for, selectively blanking all butone of the notches are provided, alias isadisclosed and claimed in'the(to-pending a pli'cation for Letters Patent oit Frederic P. Gates,Serial No. 555,997, .tilcdn-ripril 22, 1922. The numeral 31 designatesone o t'said washers, this washer blanking notches and 30 and.

having an aperture BZ adapted to re ister with notch 30:. It will-beunderstood ti on'i the. foregoing that therjeare provided a sec ondwasher (not shown) similar to washer Ell but having anapcrture 32? ('asshown by dotted lines in Fig. 5) adapted to register'i with notch. 30;anda thlrd Vasher having an aperture 32". registering with ,notcl 1 30".Each washer is provided with a pan of openings 33-throughwvh1ch.therarms 345,011

the collar 35 extend for the purpose ,ofise curlng the washer in place.

As previously stated, handles .ot'poifce lain or likematerialihaving'similar charac teristics, cannot be made to, exactdinieuf handles of this sort though formed in. the same mold,will-vary... This 2 means that the well and the notch 30 sions, and

(where one noteh is pi' ovided, or notches, where a plurality areprovided.toacconiplisli the objects set forth in the said Fred- -eric P.Gates application) must be made OYGXSIZG, and, therefore, the connectorand the projection lt fit more .or less loosely;

' aiid where the engagement between the walls of a notch in the handleandithc projection is relied upon to hold the handle against 1'0.

tation relative to the spindle, there is so much play between the partsthat the ham dle will wobble .andwill not take indicating positions withprecision. In order to elimi-' nate these objections I provide o'n thebot-. tom of the handle, a plate, and anchorthis plate against relativeturning movement to the handle at a point beyond the projection,

.- the plate having a notch or notches, as the case may be, for closelyreceiving the pro- 43 positioned in the pointer portion of the handle.This plate, in the present illustration, is shown interposed between thehandle andthe washer 31, and is provided with apertures stat, li, and44: corresponding to the notches 80, 30?, and 30".. These apertures areof such size that the projection lit will have a closefit therein. Also,the plate has 'a central aperture which the sleeve or connector has a"relatively close sliding fit. It will be jnoted that since theprojection tits closely in that apertnre'in the plate which is notcovered 'by'tlie washer, and the plate is anchored.a 'ainstlturningmovement relative to the ,liandleat; a m n relat ly e-rea h r i dlsthehandle will have little or no loose plgiyfland will be held steady toclosely indicate the indexed positions of the switch instance, when theswitchis in oil? position. the pointer end otthe handle will be all nedwith the niddle letter It, as shownin" ii'gure l I Vv hat I claim is 1.In an electric switchand in combination, a rotary switch. spindlehavingjaproj c ien efisettlieli i lli e an l @bnii c ed to said spindle,and a plate anelhored tdsaid handle at a point beyond sa d projectionand havingengagemen wi h Sai p ii eti n for reventing elative te a y me-m e tweenthe handle and spindle. l'

'2; In an electric switch, andin combination, a rotary switch memberha-ving an offsetv projection, a handle constituting a pointer a plateanchered to said. handle at a greater distance fron saidspinclle thansaid projection and having an apeigture d pt d o. ce .-Ye lQP l Q lQ iIn an, electric switch. and in. combinatiolna rot switch spindle provide[with an oftset projection, a porcelain ndl'e, means for securing saidhandle iist ,withset pr0jectio n, a handle having a bore, a connector.slidably mounted .in sa d bore and held against rotation relativevtosaid handle and adapted to be threaded onto said spindle, a springnormally urging the handle against longitudinal movement relative tosaid connector, and a plate on the bottom of said handle having anopening slidably receiving said connector and an aperture adapted toclosely receive said projection, said plate having a radially extendingarm with an upturned end projecting into said handle.

6. In an electric switch and in c01nbination, a rotary switch spindlehaving a fixed projection, a handle provided with a plurality ofangularly spaced recesses adapted to receive said projection, means forcon n-ecting said handle for sliding and rotary movements to saidspindle, a plate on the bottom of said handle having aperturesregistering with said notches, said plate being anchored to said handleat a point beyond said projection, a Washer overlying said plate havinga single aperture adapted to register With one of said apertures in saidplate, and common means for, securing said Washer and said plate to saidhandle.

GEORGE HEGEMAN HART.

